For me I've realized that, going back through my failed resolution goals, I have never set a higher value to change my behaviors. These are examples of those goals:

• Learn a new programming language X
• Learn how a computer works
• Become 10x more productive

They are shallow, unmeasurable goals that are rather by-products of some higher-level behavioral changes that need to happen first. For instance, these are way better goals:

• Make decisions I won't regret (my goal)
• Walk 10k steps each day
• Drink 10+ glasses of water
• Wake up at 4 am every morning

Granted these are just examples that are not for everyone. But to make a point - You won't be learning anything new or becoming 2x productive without changing yourself and/or your environment. It is foolish to think we can force our brain to take on something different without training it to adopt better, positive thinking. And that, my fellow devs, is because of your brain.

Our brain is an ancient machine that's been programmed for comfort over hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, taking as little risk as possible to stay in its safest state. Before the Industrial Revolution, which was barely hundreds of years ago, our race was geared toward basic survival. We are basically carrying around an arcane, self-sabotaging CPU into the world where AI is increasingly becoming more powerful.

So this New Year, instead of setting another unrealistic set of goals, set small but repeatable ones that compound to change your outlook and behaviors.

What are some of these goals you can set for yourself?